Playgrounds, the Price Hill spray pool, free museum days, story time, the Activity Center gym and free Park Commission events for Oxford families.

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Facts come from the Oxford Park Commission, the University of Mississippi Museum, First Regional Library, Visit Oxford’s kid-friendly guide and each business’s own site, linked below. Hours change; call before you go.

The Oxford Park Commission runs the city’s playgrounds, the spray pool at Price Hill Park, the summer city pool and a year-round calendar of free family events. For rainy days, the University Museum on the Ole Miss campus is free, and the public library is a short walk from the skate park on Bramlett Boulevard.

At a glance

  • Next free city event: Halloween and fall festival, Thursday, Oct. 15, Oxford Activity Center
  • Splash pad: Price Hill Park spray pool (city); Chadwick Farm (private, fall weekends)
  • Free indoors: University Museum, Tuesday through Saturday
  • Park Commission: 662-232-2380; Activity Center desk 662-232-2379

Playgrounds

All of these are city parks run by the Oxford Park Commission.

Park Where For kids
Avent Park 120 Park Drive Large playground plus a separate one for kids 5 and under, walking trail, Little Free Library
Price Hill Park Price Hill Road Playground, spray pool, ball field, basketball court
Stone Park 432 Washington Ave., across from the city pool Playground, pavilion, two basketball courts
Bailey Branch Park at FNC 1215 Office Park Drive Playground, wildflower garden, walking path
Rivers Hill Park Pegues Road Playground, two basketball courts
Oxford Skate Park Bramlett Boulevard, across from the library Skate park, playground, open field

Splash pads and pools

  • Price Hill Park has the city’s spray pool.
  • Oxford City Pool, on Washington Avenue across from Stone Park, is a summer pool. Its 2026 season ended for general swim after Sept. 5, the Park Commission says. In season it is open 1 to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Children under 14 and non-swimmers need an adult who can swim, and children 5 and under need an adult with them at all times. See summer camps and pools for next year.
  • Chadwick Farm, 113 County Road 215, has a splash pad, farm animals and hayrides. It is open on fall weekends, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday, with gates closing at sunset on shorter days. Admission is charged; call 901-258-6466.

Free city events

Every Park Commission special event is free and open to all ages, and most start between 5 and 7 p.m., its events page says. The rest of the 2026 list:

Event Date Where
Halloween and fall festival (costume theme) Thursday, Oct. 15 Oxford Activity Center, 400 Price St.
Night at the North Pole Tuesday, Dec. 8 Oxford Activity Center, 400 Price St.

Earlier in 2026 the commission held an Easter egg hunt, a Power Wheels Derby, Superhero Day, Pirate for a Day and Mother’s Day and Father’s Day events. Watch its social media for times as each date gets close. More October plans are on our Halloween events and trick-or-treat hours pages.

Indoor and rainy-day picks

  • University Museum, University Avenue at Fifth Street; 662-915-7073. Free. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday. It holds Family Activity Days and Free Sketch Fridays, open to all ages. Allow an hour.
  • Oxford Public Library, 401 Bramlett Blvd.; 662-234-5751. Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, according to First Regional Library.
  • Coach Howell Activity Center, 396 Price St.; 662-232-2379. Two full basketball courts for open play, a walking track upstairs, a gymnastics wing, and arcade and table games. The gym and track are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, except major holidays, the Park Commission says.
  • Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square; 662-236-2207. The children’s bookstore on the Square holds regular story times for toddlers and early readers, Visit Oxford says; check the store for the schedule.
  • Back Nine Oxford, 308 S. Lamar Blvd.; 662-506-6628. Indoor sports simulators, from virtual golf to basketball, and Oxford Creamery ice cream, according to Visit Oxford.
  • Premier Lanes Entertainment Center: bowling, laser tag, an arcade and a restaurant under one roof, Visit Oxford’s rainy-day guide says.
  • Clay Canvas: a paint-your-own pottery studio, from the same guide.

Outdoors beyond the playground

  • Rowan Oak, William Faulkner’s home. The grounds are free and open dawn to dusk; going inside the house costs $5 a person. The house is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, and closed Mondays, the university says.
  • Bailey Woods Trail, the 20-minute walk from Rowan Oak to the museum, is temporarily closed for bridge repairs.
  • Lamar Park has walking trails, gardens and a lake, and closes at dusk.
  • Sno Biz, 1132 N. Lamar Blvd.; 662-234-8889. Snow cones and classic kiddie rides, Visit Oxford says.

What this means for you

  • Hot day: Price Hill Park’s spray pool.
  • Wet day: the free University Museum, then the library.
  • Mark Thursday, Oct. 15, for the city’s free Halloween and fall festival.

Related: parks and trails, free things to do, walking and biking trails and fall festivals and pumpkin patches.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a splash pad in Oxford, Mississippi?

Price Hill Park on Price Hill Road has a city spray pool, according to the Oxford Park Commission. Chadwick Farm, 113 County Road 215, also has a splash pad and is open on fall weekends.

What can kids do in Oxford on a rainy day?

The University Museum is free and open Tuesday through Saturday, the Oxford Public Library on Bramlett Boulevard is open seven days a week, and the Coach Howell Activity Center has open gym time, a walking track and arcade games.

Is the University Museum in Oxford free?

Yes. Admission to the University Museum, the Rowan Oak grounds and Bailey Woods Trail is free; going inside Rowan Oak costs $5 a person. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

What free kids’ events does the Oxford Park Commission hold?

The 2026 list includes a Halloween and fall festival on Thursday, Oct. 15, and Night at the North Pole on Tuesday, Dec. 8, both at the Oxford Activity Center. All of its special events are free and open to all ages.